Dead Silence
by ThisCatalyst'sPen
Summary: What if Raphael didn't always have a gruff voice with a thick Brooklyn accent? An idea as to why this may be the case: The smoke was unbearable. Mikey couldn't breathe. And the heat was immense. The fire was so close. "Hold on, Raph!" Mikey cried, but he was too late.
1. Chapter 1- Flicker

**Summary:** What if Raphael didn't always have a gruff voice with a thick Brooklyn accent? An idea as to why this may be the case: The smoke was unbearable. Mikey couldn't breathe. And the heat was immense. The fire was so close. "Hold on, Raph!" Mikey cried, but he was too late.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own TMNT. All rights belong to their respective owners. No profit is being made through this story.

**Author's Note: **This was actually one of the first ideas I had for FanFiction for TMNT, but for a long time that's all it remained; an idea. Back and forth I would come back and write a little bit more, but I never wrote enough for it to be substantial. But then I started thinking about the story again, and the reason I wanted to write it in the first place. My muse came back and I got a lot done.

This won't be an overly long story; only a couple of chapters at most, but hopefully they will be fairly long chapters. This story is set in the 2003 cartoon series. The reason for this story is because I have always been fascinated with Raphael's voice in the 2003 cartoon series. His voice is very distinct and gruff, and he is the only one of his brother's that has a Brooklyn accent, which fits in with where they live. I have read a few stories that mention this idea; things like Raphael listening to the people who would walk past the sewers and picking up their accent from that. But then I thought; what if Raphael's voice wasn't always so gruff and hoarse? And then this idea came to me and begged to be written.

So for now, pretend Raphael does not have his signature Brooklyn accent and gruff voice. I know that will be hard, but trust me, it's for a good reason.

This story is set in episode one, season one of the 2003 cartoon series.

* * *

~**D**e**a**d **S**i**l**e**n**c**e**~

* * *

**-Chapter One-**

**Flicker**

_If this is to end in fire  
then we should all burn together  
Watch the flames climb high into the night_

~Ed Sheeran, "I See Fire"

* * *

_**Silence**_ _**shrouded the abandoned subway tunnel.**_ Shadows lay heavily in every corner, flickering black tendrils that looked like ghostly hands across the grime-stained walls. The air was weighed with uncertainty, as if the world was holding its breath in trepidation for what was about to happen.

There was a low _rasp _as orange tongues of flame split the darkness, sending small waves of light and warmth spreading through the chilly tunnel.

Master Splinter's onyx eyes flashed behind the dancing flame as he carefully held up the old waxen candle in his clawed hands. Eyes resting on each of his four sons that stood hidden in the shadows, he slowly blew out the match, watching the orange flame lap hungrily at the candlewick.

"My sons," Master Splinter rasped, moving the candle into his right paw and resting his left paw comfortably across his lap. "Remember, that to be a true ninja you must become one with the shadows. Darkness gives a ninja power, while light reveals the ninja's presence to the rest of the world.

"Now...can you extinguish this flame without revealing yourselves?"

There was a sudden blur and strangled grunt as Donatello raced forward, nothing but a shadow speeding towards its target. Master Splinter's ears twitched as he heard his son approach and moved the candle out of reach, causing Donatello to stumble into the far wall with a surprised grunt.

"Too slow, Donatello."

Another shadow moved, uttering a low battle cry and leaping wildly in the air.

"Too clumsy, Michelangelo," Master Splinter said with a small smile as his youngest son crashed into Donatello, groaning and rubbing his head from the hard landing.

A third shadow, this one slightly larger than the other two, sneaked forward quietly, before leaping for the candle. Master Splinter ducked and got to his feet, moving away from where the shadow had landed with an annoyed grunt. Becoming frustrated, the shadow lunged for the candle once more. Master Splinter foresaw this and quickly stuck his walking stick out, tripping Raphael and sending him crashing into his other brothers.

"Poor choice, Raphael."

The last shadow stared down from his perch in the ceiling, watching the flickering candle patiently. As quietly as he could, the shadow dropped down, and with two slashes of his twin katanna, chopped the candle in half. Landing on his outstretched blade, Leonardo stood from his crouched position on the floor and gently blew the flame out.

The subway tunnel, that was their lair, their home, was suddenly flooded with light as Master Splinter turned the overhead lighting back on.

"Well done, Leonardo."

"Teacher's pet," Raphael muttered, getting to his feet.

"Ninja drop-out," Leonardo shot back.

"My sons!" Master Splinter sighed, interrupting his two eldest sons before their verbal battle became a physical one. "If you are to become true ninja you must learn to work harder. Your path in life will not be an easy one. The outside world is not a friendly place for you. You are different in ways the surface-dwellers will never understand. To survive, you must each master the skills I teach you. To do this you must become _kage;_ shadow warriors. Do this, and you will never be discovered by the outside world."

A sudden, low rumble shook the lair, sending small stones falling from the ceiling as the ground began to tremble.

"What is that noise?" Master Splinter asked, looking around the lair for the source of the sudden disturbance.

"Earthquake?" Mickey asked, stumbling as the ground under his feet started to shake violently.

"In New York; possible but not likely," Donatello said, frowning in thought as he gazed at the slowly cracking ceiling above them in contemplation.

There was another rumble, this one louder than the last. The ground shook violently, and dust rained down on them as the cracks in the ceiling grew larger.

"I think this tunnel is about to collapse," Donatello said, eyes wide with shock. "It is an earthquake; we have to get out of here, now!"

Picking up their things, the turtles and Master Splinter ran down the darkened tunnel. The rumbling became louder and the walls and ground began to shake more violently.

They hadn't made it halfway down the tunnel when the first part of the ceiling collapsed, barley missing them. There was another rumble, and the shockwave nearly knocked the turtles' off their feet.

"Come on!" Leo yelled, his voice barely heard over the rumbling.

A second part of the roof collapsed, this time falling right in front of Raphael and Michelangelo, blocking them off.

"Mikey, Raph!" Don whirled around and scrambled desperately through the fallen debris, trying to free his brothers before the rest of the tunnel collapsed.

"It's okay, we're not hurt!" Mikey yelled back as he and Raphael began to dig through the debris on their side.

"Stay away from the walls!" Don yelled through the wall of debris. "There are all kinds of wires running through these parts of the tunnel that connect to the subway further down."

"What about them, Donnie?" Raphael asked in frustration, digging through the debris that blocked Mikey and himself from the rest of his family.

"With the tunnel being so unstable a spark could catch alight, we have no idea what could be in all this debris- it could most likely be flammable," Donatello explained.

"Well, isn't that great," Raphael mumbled.

There was another deep rumble and the walls begun to shake once more.

"We need to get out of here!" Don cried in panic. "This tunnel will collapse any minute now!"

With renewed efforts and determination, the turtles and Master Splinter dug furiously at the debris that separated them, all conscious of the shaking tunnel around them.

Raphael suddenly straightened, his eyes going wide with panic. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that part of the debris that littered the ground behind him had caught aflame, and that flame was growing bigger by the minute.

"Don't mean to alarm anyone, but we have a little situation back here," Raphael yelled.

Mikey looked over his shoulder and gasped. "Dudes, we got a fire back here!"

"Hurry!" Leo yelled as another shockwave shook the tunnel, this time a lot more violently.

"Come on!" Raphael shouted, digging furiously at the debris. A rumbling overhead made him look up. There was a large crack in the roof above them. One of the support beams groaned ominously.

"Look out!" With a loud _snap! _the support beam tore free from the roof and fell to the ground. Raphael leapt at his little brother, pushing him out of the way just in time. Raphael hit the ground hard, the support beam falling on top.

"Raph!" Mikey cried, rushing over to his brother who was trapped under the thick beam.

"I'm fine, Mikey," Raph gasped, assuring his brother.

"Raph, Mikey, what's happening back there?" Don demanded from the other side of the debris.

"There's a fire, and Raph's trapped under a support beam!" Mikey yelled back, panic flashing in his eyes.

Mikey heard Don curse. Which meant that things were serious. Don never cursed.

Mikey bent down and gripped the edge of the support beam and tried to push it aside.

Raphael's howl of pain stopped him.

"Raph, what happened, are you okay?" Mikey asked in worry.

"That thing is heavy," Raphael gasped. "It's crushing my ribs."

Raphael started coughing, pain twinging his face as the pain in his ribs hurt with every struggled breath. Mikey started to cough too, which he found strange. And then he realised what it was; smoke. The debris that had been lit had turned into a large fire, and smoke was quickly filling the air pockets. The heat was noticeable now too.

"Mikey, get out of here," Raphael groaned. "It's too dangerous!"

"Don't be stupid, I'm not going anywhere," Mikey said stubbornly, moving to try and shift the beam again. He started to push but Raphael's pained cry stopped him once more.

The smoke was unbearable. Mikey couldn't breathe. And the heat was immense. The fire was so close. Mikey raced back over to the wall of debris and began to furiously claw at it. If he could make a big enough hole, then hopefully they wouldn't die of smoke inhalation.

"Hang on, Raph!" Mikey shouted, his hands bleeding from roughly pulling apart the wall. He could hear the muffled cries of his brothers on the other side, but their words were drowned out by the cackle of the flames.

Mikey felt a sudden breath of fresh air on his hands and knew he had created an air pocket. Gulping down a lungful of the precious oxygen, Mikey quickly turned back to his brother, determined to get the beam off him. But when he turned around, Mikey was shocked at how much smoke had accumulated whilst he had been digging them an air pocket. The thick, coiling black smoke was everywhere. It was so thick Mikey could hardly see.

"Raph!" He called out in panic, stumbling over the uneven ground to the place he had left his brother.

The heat was immense. Mikey felt like his skin was melting off his bones. Orange flames flickered all around him, hungry and deadly. Mikey knelt down beside his brother. Grunting from the effort, he pushed the solid beam off his brother, ignoring Raphael's screams until the heavy beam was pushed off.

Sweat coated Raphael's body from the heat of the fire. Fine cracks spider-webbed across his plastron and the tough cartridge appeared to be burnt. That or bruised. Raphael's breathing was shallow and raspy, and Mikey knew immediately that he had inhaled too much smoke.

"Mikey, Raph!" Leo's voice cut through the roar of the flames. They had cleared a path.

"Over here!" Mikey shouted, panic building in his chest when he noticed that his brother was unconscious.

Leo, Don and Master Splinter ran towards them.

"Raph needs help," Mikey gasped, the adrenalin that had been pumping through his veins draining and turning into exhaustion. "Too much smoke..."

Leo swung Raphael over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. Don and Master Splinter supported Mikey and helped the weary turtle to his feet.

"Let's get out of here," Don said as the tunnel gave another, menacing roar.

Quickly, they ran down the tunnel and into the sewers, racing away from what used to be their home. The tunnel collapsed behind.

Mikey looked at Raph's unconscious face and felt his stomach grip with panic, before the edges of his vision turned black and he too succumbed to the waiting darkness.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I hope you enjoyed the start of this story. I hope it proves interesting enough for you to want to read more. The second chapter is under works. I hope to have it posted in a reasonable time frame. If you have any questions or thoughts I would love to hear them.

Until the next time,

~Cat


	2. Chapter 2- Spark

**Summary: **What if Raphael didn't always have a gruff voice with a thick Brooklyn accent? An idea as to why this may be the case: The smoke was unbearable. Mikey couldn't breathe. And the heat was immense. The fire was so close. "Hold on, Raph!" Mikey cried, but he was too late.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own TMNT. All rights belong to their respective owners. No profit is being made through this story.

**Author's Note: **Thank you everyone for the response I had for the first chapter. I am glad that it is proving to be an interesting idea. I hope this chapter continues to prove that.

This story is set in episode one, season one of the 2003 cartoon series.

* * *

**~D**e**a**d** S**i**l**e**n**c**e~**

* * *

**-Chapter Two-**

**Spark**

_As the flames climbed into the clouds  
I wanted to fix this  
But couldn't stop from tearing it down_

~Linkin Park, "Burn it Down"

* * *

**_They made it to the end of the subway tunnel before they had to sto__p._** Panting, and out of breath, Leo gently lowered his still unconscious brother to the ground. Don knelt beside him and checked his pulse.

"He's inhaled a lot of smoke," Don said, shaking his head. "All my medical equipment is back in the lair."

Leo looked back the way they had come. Their home for the past fifteen years, their safe haven, was gone. Every memory they had, every meagre possession, lost in flame.

"What are we going to do now?" Mikey asked, having come back into consciousness. He sat up slowly, resting his head in his hands. He had a killer headache and his chest was starting to ache.

"We'll do what we always do- we'll survive," Master Splinter rasped. "Our home may be gone, but our family is safe. We will find somewhere else to call our home."

"But what about Raphael, Sensei?" Don asked, looking up with worry at his father. "He needs medical attention and medicine."

Master Splinter flattened his ears, something he did when he was upset. "I will go to the surface. If you tell me what you will need, Donatello, I can acquire it for you."

"But, Sensei," Leo said slowly, "it's dangerous."

"I have been to the surface before, my sons. I will be okay. In the meantime, do what you can for Raphael. I will be as quick as I can."

"I'll text you the equipment that I need," Don said, pulling his Shell-Cell from his belt.

"Alright," Master Splinter nodded. "I will be back as soon as I can. Try not to wonder, my sons."

When Master Splinter disappeared Don crouched down beside Raphael, who was still unconscious. His breathing was raspy, and his chest heaved with the effort of each breath.

"We have to do what little we can to help Raph, now," Don said. "His lungs have been damaged by the smoke."

Leo and Mikey knelt down beside him. "You tell us what we need to do," Leo said.

Don gently opened Raphael's mouth and tried to peer inside to see if there were any blockages. Frowning, Don sat back and pulled out his Shell-Cell and quickly sent a text to Master Splinter.

_Oxygen mask/machine_

_Pain killers_

_Endotracheal tube (will send you a picture of what it looks like)_

_Basic first aid kit_

_Cough syrup_

_Bandages_

Don put his phone away and studied his brother, worry clouding his features.

"Why is he still unconscious, Donnie?" Mikey asked, his voice tinged with fear.

"I don't know, Mikey," Don answered truthfully. "There isn't a lot I can do until I have the equipment." Frowning, he gently ran his hands over Raphael's plastron, inspecting the spider-web fractures.

"He may have a fractured rib or two and internal bleeding," Don said, more to himself than his brothers. "But I can't know that for sure unless I have an X-Ray machine. I'll have to build a small one when…If we find a new home."

"Speaking of home, where are we going to live now?" Mikey asked.

"I don't know," Leo said, getting to his feet. "I'm going to have a look around, see what I can find."

"Master Splinter said not to wonder," Don pointed out.

"I won't go far," Leo assured him.

"I'll come too," Mikey said, jumping to his feet.

"Oh no you won't," Don said. "I need to check you over too. You may have mild smoke inhalation, Mikey."

"Oh man," Mikey groaned, reluctantly sitting back down.

"Besides," Don said more gently, "we need to keep an eye on Raphael and make him as comfortable as we can until Master Splinter gets back."

"Do you think he's okay, up on the surface?" Mikey asked.

"I'm sure he's fine," Don assured his brother. "It is Master Splinter, after all."

* * *

Master Splinter snuck into the pharmacy. Under the cover of moonlight, and sticking to the shadows, he had managed to avoid anyone seeing him as he crept into the pharmacy. Disabling the security cameras and making sure to erase the footage of himself sneaking into the shop through the back door, Master Splinter pulled out his Shell-Cell and read the text message Donatello had sent him.

Scanning the isles, Master Splinter squinted in the darkness, looking for the items he needed. He found the bandages first and put a few different packets into a small basket he had taken from the front of the shop. He didn't like to steal, and he had no money to pay for the items. But Master Splinter knew his son needed these things in order to survive.

Scouring the shelves, Master Splinter found the pain medicine next. Donatello hadn't specified in what sort to get, so Master Splinter chose a few different ones, hoping that would be enough.

He had a bit of trouble finding some of the other items on the list, but managed to procure them. Glancing at the front of the shop, Master Splinter slipped out the back door, pressing himself against the wall. Waiting a couple of moments, he looked around to see if anyone was in sight before stealing away into the night.

* * *

Leo looked around the ruined tunnel, carefully avoiding the debris that littered the ground. He had been looking for nearly fifteen minutes now, and had found no sign of a decent place to call their new home. He had found a few crevices along the walls, but nothing big enough for all of them to live in. He was just apart to give up when he saw a medium-sized crack in the ground. Kneeling down beside the hole, Leo peered into the darkness.

Picking up a nearby stone, Leo dropped it into the hole, listening to it fall. It didn't seem like a very big drop, or a steep one either. Deciding to take his chances, Leo lowered himself into the crack. He grunted in surprise as he slid down a tunnel, landing in another long tunnel a few feet down.

Brushing the dust from himself, Leo looked around the tunnel. He had never been to this part of the sewers before; hadn't even known it existed. Getting to his feet, Leo started along the tunnel. He followed it for a hundred metres before he entered what appeared to be a large room. The hexagonal-shaped room was surprisingly spacious, and appeared to be two stories high, with smaller rooms leading off from the main one.

"Wow," Leo breathed in awe. "This place was amazing."

It was damaged in some places, like the rest of the tunnel, but nothing major. Debris littered the ground but none of the support columns appeared to be damaged.

"This is perfect," Leo breathed. He could easily envisage him and his brothers cleaning the place up. They could scavenge around for furniture, and Don could wire the place up with electricity and heating.

Excited by the find, Leo raced back down the tunnel to tell his brothers he had found their new home.

* * *

"My sons, I have returned," Master Splinter rasped as he entered the tunnel, struggling with the load he was carrying.

"Sensei!" Don sighed in relief upon seeing his father. He stood to greet him. "Did you find everything?"

"I believe so, Donatello," Master Splinter said, handing him the full basket. "I just hope it will be enough. How is Raphael?"

"He's still unconscious and his breathing is quite raspy. I should be able to help him with these things, though."

"Good," Master Splinter nodded with relief.

"Guys, you won't believe what I just found!" Leo shouted, running towards them with a smile on his face.

"What, what is it?" Mikey asked.

"I think," Leo said between pants, "I've found our new home."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I am starting the third chapter as we speak, so I hope to have a speedy update. Thank you all for the support for the first chapter. If you have any questions or thoughts I would love to hear them.

Until the next time,

~Cat


	3. Chapter 3- Ash

**Summary: **What if Raphael didn't always have a gruff voice with a thick Brooklyn accent? An idea as to why this may be the case: The smoke was unbearable. Mikey couldn't breathe. And the heat was immense. The fire was so close. "Hold on, Raph!" Mikey cried, but he was too late.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own TMNT. All rights belong to their respective owners. No profit is being made through this story.

**Author's Note: **Thank you for all the feedback so far! Your encouragement is greatly appreciated and helps with my Writing Muse!

This story is set in episode one, season one of the 2003 cartoon series.

* * *

**~D**e**a**d** S**i**l**e**n**c**e~**

* * *

**-Chapter Three-**

**Ash**

_Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure._

~Oprah Winfrey

* * *

_**They followed Leo down the tunnel that would lead them to their new home.**_ Don and Mikey carried Raphael between them, still unconscious from the fire. Master Splinter took up the rear and Leo led the way. They entered the hexagonal room and gasped when they saw it.

"Oh wow," Don breathed. "This place is amazing."

"It's got two floors and everything," Mikey said appreciatively, looking around the room with awe.

"I could easily fix this place up," Don continued. "After we've cleaned it of course. I can rig up some electricity and heating and probably even some plumbing."

'So, what do you think, Sensei?" Leo asked, hoping his father would approve of his find.

"I like it very much, Leonardo. A very good find, my son. I believe this shall be our new home."

"Before we do anything, I need to help Raph," Don said, looking at his unconscious brother.

"Let's have a look around, see if there is a good place for him to rest," Leo said.

They explored the lower level of their new home, carefully avoiding the debris that littered the floor.

"Here," Don said, pointing to a room that ran off the main room.

The others followed him in and looked around. It was a decent-sized room, a perfect rectangle in shape. There was a large slab of concrete in the middle of the room, part of the old ceiling that had fallen during the earthquake. It was smooth and Leo could see that it would be a good make-shift bed for Raphael.

"Lay him down on it," Don said, spotting Leo's find and indicating to the concrete slab. "I'll start setting up the equipment."

Leo and Mikey gently laid Raphael down on the slab and stepped back to help Don unpack and set up the equipment Master Splinter had procured.

"I'm going to hook him up to the oxygen machine first," Don explained, putting the medium-sized boxed machine next to Raphael. Taking out the mask, he carefully secured it over his brother's mouth and attached the end to the machine. Praying that it would work, Don turned the machine on. They waited for a moment, but after hearing the low _buzzing _sound, Don knew that it was working, and his brother was getting the oxygen he needed.

Leaving the machine where it was, Don continued to unpack the bag, reassured now as he watched his brother's chest rise and fall steadily.

"I'll give him the pain medication when he wakes up," Don said, more to himself than anyone else, as he unpacked it from the bag along with the cough syrup, first aid kit and bandages.

"What's this?" Mikey asked, pulling out the endotracheal tube.

"It's an endotracheal tube," Donnie explained. "If Raphael's breathing doesn't get any better after using the oxygen for awhile, I'll have to insert this into his windpipe and connect the other end to the oxygen machine. It works more effectively than using just the mask."

"So what now, Donnie?" Leo asked, watching his brother's chest rise and fall steadily.

"Now, we wait," Don replied. "I'll keep him hooked up and monitored for fifteen minutes, at least. I want to look Mikey over too and make sure he is okay."

"I'm fine, dude," Mikey said.

"I just want to check you over and give you some cough medicine, just to be on the safe side," Don told his brother, his face saying that he wasn't taking no for an answer.

"Fine," Mikey sighed, defeated. There was no use arguing with Don when he was in doctor-mode.

"Then you can go help Leo and Master Splinter clean up," Don said as an afterthought.

"Aw man, I hate cleaning," Mikey whined.

"I don't care. If this is to be our new home, everyone has to contribute."

"What about you?" Mikey asked, narrowing his eyes in jest.

"I will make a start of cleaning this room, which by the way, I have already put dibs on as being my lab," Don said with a smirk.

"No way man, this was so going to be my comic-book room!"

"Too late," Don smiled. "Now sit down please."

Grumbling to himself, Mikey sat on the edge of the concrete slab, mourning the loss of his short lived comic book room. Don crouched beside him and listened to his breathing.

"A little wheezy," Don explained. "Some cough medicine should help. Are you sore anywhere else?"

"No," Mikey shook his head.

"That's good," Don said, moving to get the cough medicine. It came with a small measuring cup, which Don used to pour a little of the thick white medicine into. "Here you are," he said, offering the cup to Mikey.

Mikey winced as he took the cup. He hated medicine. "Do you have anything I can wash it down with?"

"Sorry, Mikey," Don shook his head. "We'll have to go for a supply run later."

"Oh man," Mikey muttered, staring at the contents of the cup.

"The sooner you drink it, the sooner it will be over," Don pointed out.

"Alright, alright," Mikey said, taking a deep breath before quickly chugging the medicine.

"That is so gross!" Mikey exclaimed, poking his tongue out and grimacing.

"It's not that bad," Don said, rolling his eyes and smiling at his brother's antics.

"Come on, Mikey," Leo said, walking back into the room. "You can help us clean now."

Finally left in peace, Don started to shift some of the rubble and debris into a pile in the middle of the room. The room was going to need a good scrub and clean, but that could wait until after all the debris had been removed. Making sure to check on Raphael, Don managed to move most of the debris on his own.

Don removed the oxygen mask from Raphael's mouth and switched the machine off, setting it aside. Bending down, Don listened to Raphael's still-ragged breathing. It was better than what it had been, and Don was satisfied that he was strong enough to breathe on his own. His plastron still caused Donnie concern. Frowning at the cracks, Don couldn't be sure or not if anything was broken or if any internal injuries were sustained. Sitting his brother up as gently as he could, Don used one hand to hold Raphael up in a sitting position and his other hand to wrap a bandage firmly around his shell and plastron.

Raphael groaned at the movement and Don froze, carefully lying his brother back down. Raphael groaned again and his eyelids began to flicker.

"Raph, Raph can you hear me?" Don asked, gently placing a hand on his brother's shoulder.

Two golden slits squinted back at Donnie. It hurt to open his eyes with the bright light that assaulted his retinas. Raphael groaned again and forced his eyes to partially open.

"Raph, thank god you're awake," Don breathed a sigh of relief. "I was starting to get worried."

Don could see the confusion that clouded Raphael's eyes. "You were in an accident," Don explained. "There was an earthquake in the tunnel. It started a fire; you inhaled a lot of smoke. One of the support beams feel on you, which is why your chest is sore."

Raphael frowned as the memories came flooding back, like a movie flashing behind his eyes. There was a fire, the orange flames growing bigger by the second. He had heard an ominous groan and looked up to see one of the support beams was weak and about to give way. He pushed Mikey out of the way just in time as the heavy beam fell on him, crushing his chest and pinning him to the ground. Then after that, all Raphael could remember was the heat. He could feel the sweat coating his skin and rolling down his body as the fire grew hotter and hotter. His chest ached from the thick smoke that surrounded him. He coughed as the smoke assaulted his lungs, trying to breathe and wiggle free of the beam. He remembered feeling light-headed and seeing black spots dance in the corner of his vision before falling into unconsciousness. Mikey must have gotten him out just in time.

Raphael struggled to sit up on his own, but the sudden flair of pain in his chest stopped him. Grunting and wincing, Raphael decided it would be best to stay still.

"Where is the pain, Raph?" Don asked, his eyes filled with concern.

Raphael opened his mouth to reply but found that he couldn't. His throat burned like it was on fire, and his lungs screamed every time he breathed. Swallowing, Raphael opened his mouth to try again, but no words came out, only a strangled rasp.

Don's eyes widened with fear. Raphael's own scared gaze met his, silent imploring for an explanation, for help.

Raphael's voice was gone.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Poor Raphael! Stick around if you want to find out more! If you have any questions or thoughts I would love to hear them.

Until the next time,

~Cat


	4. Chapter 4- Cinders

**Summary: **What if Raphael didn't always have a gruff voice with a thick Brooklyn accent? An idea as to why this may be the case: The smoke was unbearable. Mikey couldn't breathe. And the heat was immense. The fire was so close. "Hold on, Raph!" Mikey cried, but he was too late.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own TMNT. All rights belong to their respective owners. No profit is being made through this story.

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the long wait of this and the shortness in length. I've been very busy lately and with doing my final year of school, I am sad to say that updates will be slow coming for all of my stories. Thank you all for your patience and your encouragement.

This story is set in episode one, season one of the 2003 cartoon series.

* * *

**~D**e**a**d** S**i**l**e**n**c**e~**

* * *

**-Chapter Four-**

**Cinders**

_In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit._

_Albert Schweitzer_

* * *

_**Raphael felt a knot of fear twist his gut.**_ He opened his mouth again, to try and speak, to try and force the words out, but only strangled silence greeted him. His mouth felt dry and his tongue like a lead weight. His throat felt raw and ached, like he had been coughing non-stop for the past two hours. He tried again, but it just felt like a large clay ball was stuck in his throat, and no matter how hard he pushed at it, it wouldn't budge. Instead he could only gasp and wheeze, the noises that escaped him sounding more animalistic than human.

His eyes found Don and he reached for his brother, his gesture and his eyes begging him for an explanation, begging him for help.

Donatello reached out and took his brother's hand, squeezing it tightly, reassuringly. "It's okay, Raph, we're going to figure this out," Don said, trying to sooth his brother. He felt there was no use lying to him, no use offering him false words of comfort. His brother deserved to know the truth, and the truth was, Don had no idea what was wrong. The only logical and medical prognosis Don could conclude, was that the smoke inhalation was so bad, that it had damaged Raphael's voice box, whether that was permanently or temporary, Don didn't have a clue.

"Stay here, I'm going to get the others," Don said, locking eyes with Raphael to make sure he had gotten the message. He knew how stubborn his brother could be. Raphael nodded in response. Trying to appear as calm as he could, Don left the room, looking around their new home for signs of his family.

"Donnie, is everything alright?" Leo asked, spotting his brother from the other end of the room. "How's Raph?"

"Where's Mikey and Master Splinter?"

"Mikey's cleaning upstairs and Master Splinter's in the other room, why?"

"I need to talk to you all."

"Is everything ok?" Leo asked, his voice tinged with worry. "Is something wrong with Raphael?"

"It's his voice," Don said slowly, trying not to show the fear that surged inside him. "I don't know if it's permanently or temporary, but…he's lost his voice."

"What, how?" Leo demanded shocked.

"Smoke inhalation," Don explained. "He must have taken in a lot of smoke, enough to damage his lungs as well as his voice box."

"How will you know if it's only temporary?" Mikey asked. "Surely it is…Raph can't lose his voice."

"It's hard to tell this early. I'll keep him hydrated and give him cough medicine to sooth his throat as well as regular oxygen if he needs it. We should know then in a couple of days."

"What if it is permanent, Donnie?" Leo asked, his voice tinged with worry and doubt.

"Then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Don said, hoping that they wouldn't have to get that far.

* * *

"Hey, Raph, how you feeling?"

Raphael looked up at Leo and shrugged. His chest hurt, like there were barbed needles digging into his bones. His throat hurt, like he had been gargling nails. But he couldn't say any of this. He couldn't speak. Every time he tried he made a strangled noise that didn't sound human, and it felt like he was trying to swallow a ball of wet cement.

Leo tried to hide the fear and the worry from his eyes. He knew it would only make Raphael upset.

"Do you need anything?" He asked instead.

Raphael shook his head. He was so frustrated. He wanted to be up and moving on his feet. He wanted to be able to speak. Lying here, injured and mute, he felt utterly helpless, and Raphael hated feeling helpless.

Leo rested his hand on Raphael's shoulder in a reassuring gesture. "It's going to be okay, you'll be up and out of bed in no time."

Raphael forced a smile to his lips and nodded, hoping it was enough to fool his brother. It wasn't, but Leo didn't say anything. Giving Raphael one last concerned look, he got to his feet and left Raphael alone to his tumulus thoughts.

* * *

**Author's Note:**Again I apologise for the shortness of this chapter. I hope things twill pick up soon. If you have any questions or thoughts I would love to hear them.

Until the next time,

~Cat


End file.
